Organizational learning theory can help you better understand how your company as an entity operates and develops, and how you can successfully implement company-wide changes or leaning initiatives. Organizational learning, according to the organizational development model, is indicative of a flexible organization—one that senses changes early and adapts to them quickly.

The theory of organizational learning examines:

1. How individuals learn and how they perceive the world.
2. The ability of everyone on a team to focus on the same goal—key to successful organizational learning.
3. The best tools for team learning, such as dialogue and discussion.
4. Interdependencies within a system.
   

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Assess the learning style of your employees before turning to business learning theory

If you want to draw on organizational management theories, start by understanding your employees' learning style. Identifying how the individuals within your organization learn is crucial to creating change at a company-wide level. And by helping them understand their learning style, you help them become active participants in the process.

I recommend: Have your employees take the Learning Styles Assessment at Ageless Learner, or one of the many learning styles assessments at Abiator's Online Learning Styles Inventory.

Evaluate your corporate culture to make sure your company is ready for organizational theories

For an organization to learn, all employees must participate, and they must be able to collaborate and cooperate. If you plan to study and change the way your company adapts and develops, you need to be sure that everyone can work together, and that your organization is strong enough and flexible enough to handle such sweeping change.

I recommend: Consulting firm BlessingWhite offers assessment of your organizational culture, with the goal of creating a high-performance organization. Culture-Strategy Fit, a firm specializing in organizational culture, offers both diagnostic services and strategies for change, and works with companies throughout North America.

Hire a consultant specializing in organizational learning theories

If you want to use organizational theory understand and change your company, hiring a coach or consultant can help you seamlessly implement any changes you want to make. Many consultants are trained in organizational management theory, and many employ it exclusively. By enlisting their expertise, you can save time by letting them handle many of the tasks, and you can be confident of the transition's success.

I recommend: The Society for Organizational Learning offers consulting and coaching for organizational learning. Consulting firm Workforce Learning will assess your company's current culture, and develop and facilitate learning solutions.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Management and organizational theory is a helpful tool for assessing and making changes to your organization, but, because continuous learning is an important part of allowing any organization to grow and thrive, it's also ideal as an ongoing process. By understanding how your organization learn, you can help employees learn and implement new information more quickly, keeping your company ahead of the game.